Public Engagement Plan
The NJTPA Board of Trustees adopted the Public Engagement Plan (PEP) at its November 19, 2018 meeting. The PEP outlines how we plan to involve the region’s residents in our programs, projects and plans. The PEP describes our goals and objectives for public engagement while also identifying specific approaches, techniques and opportunities for ongoing communication and interaction with the public. We are committed to understanding the public’s diverse needs, concerns and ideas about our region.
What is in the PEP?
The PEP describes different ways we promote participation by all members of the public interested in our activities to improve regional transportation. It includes information on:
- Communicating with us and accessing information;
- NJTPA Board, Committee and other public meetings;
- The NJTPA’s public and stakeholder involvement process for major plans and programs;
- Our commitment to serving the needs of the region’s broadly diverse population; and
- Guidance on public participation for staff of partner agencies or consultants working on NJTPA-sponsored projects and programs.
DOWNLOAD FILES
Public Engagement Plan
NJTPA Subregion Diversity Profiles
NEW: Virtual Public Engagement Best Practices
What’s new?
The PEP is the latest update of our public participation plans. It’s the product of extensive research into public participation best practices, as well as our first-hand experience with our own innovative and award-winning outreach efforts. In the PEP, we commit to treating the public as partners and to being a leader in engaging the public. Some new opportunities for engagement in the PEP include:
- The proposed establishment of a Public Engagement Advisory Committee;
- The establishment of a young adult advisory committee to get more and better participation from those consituents;
- Strategies aimed at better including under-represented populations in decision-making; and
- Guidance for developing future public participation plans for NJTPA-sponsored programs and projects.
Website Accessibility
The NJTPA now uses ReciteMe, an online tool, that allows visitors to customize the appearance of the website to
make it easier to view, use a screen reader, or take advantage of written or spoke translations. To learn more about this tool and its various features
click here. To access the tool click the button (shown right) at the top of any webpage on our site.
Subregion Diversity Profiles
The NJTPA worked with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University to develop
diversity profiles for each of the 15 subregions. These profiles, finalized in March 2020, were created to help inform public and stakeholder engagement and to improve outreach efforts.
Virtual Public Engagement
The NJTPA has compiled
Virtual Public Engagement Best Practices to share tips and ideas for conducting public outreach virtually. This document contains several examples of successful online meetings and outreach efforts. Virtual outreach efforts should have equitable approaches and be cognizant of potential digital gaps in project areas, especially among low-income and minority populations. Ensuring inclusive outreach may require mailing materials to residents in a study area.